Valentine’s Day Roses and Pearls Cake

This heart-shaped cake was a Valentine’s Day surprise from a loving mother to her son and daughter-in-law (quite a nice gesture on her behalf, if you ask me).

There’s a ton of white chocolate inside and out. The roses and leaves are made from modeling chocolate[1]. The ribbon around the cake is fondant. First, I wanted to make it from the same chocolate plastic, but the yellowish tint of chocolate didn’t go so well with these pink roses and ivory cameo, so I opted for the cleaner light ivory-colored fondant instead. The pearls and cameo are made from gum paste.

This is an orange-flavored cake, soaked in grand Marnier syrup and filled with St. Dalfour strawberry jam and white chocolate-cream cheese filling, and frosted with Swiss meringue orange buttercream.